U.S. Treasury’s Sanctions Czar Says Iran, Russia, Islamic

US likely is importing more oil to keep high inventory, we all depend on Wall-street to suppress the oil price at the expense of Russia, Although we don’t know how long WS can achieve that feat, as they must already cover their short/put position when oil/Ruble plunge in Jaunary 2015. I would more like to believe Wall-street is building a long position at this time, because rigs and most offshore oil has been shut down very dramatically for 3 months. Since it takes 2~3 month to build a well or there is 3-month-lag time of the rig shutdown, and we are very close to see rig-cut to pressure oil price upward around mid~late March. In the meantime, importers must deem current oil price is attractive when it increase import.

Offshore cost 2x more than land and shale oil also cost $60~80. a large percentage of rigs will be cut.

——————-

Update: 10am PST Mar 2, 2014

Nemtsov joins long list of those assassinated in post-Soviet Russia could destabilizing Russia, could also mean lower oil price.

——————————

Update: 10pm PST. Feb 26, 2015

There are about 3 months process to drilling a pad(4~8 wells), so the output will lag the rig cut for about 3 months. once 3 month approach, the output will drop, so the current surplus will terminate.

When oil is cheap, it is very natural that US will import more oil and increase its stockpile of oil. US gov or wall-street might even deliberately increase stockpile. so taking down oil price is just an excuse by Wall-street banks and US gov by design to pressure Iran and Russia and benefit its people and economy. Wallstreet or Saudi might even use leverage put/short oil to earn big money hundreds of times (but only one time, we believe wallstreet has cover their shorts).

It is a very funny game, even though not logical but some are trying to confuse other people. Although market force, such as cost of most OPEC are $65 and US ($60~80) will eventually run their course. Also thinking about the over supply/print of cash in each countries and all those devaluation, Oil is already very, very cheap and the world is not in crisis mode.

—————–

Feb 11, 11am, PST, 2015

[TopCools Editor’s comment: Mr. Cohen’s rise to the post of deputy CIA director as underscoring the importance he played to crash oil price, and punish Russia and Iran. when adding Russia spy inquiry Russia ETFs in destabilizing Russia and robot trading down Russia ETF, we can infer that Oil is trade down artificially under current non-crisis state of world economy.

But Russia still has leverage on Iran and Syria, they can wage a proxy war with Saudi Arabia or Isreal, then oil will surge, oil put/short can only benefit Saudi Arabia and US once; given time oil will bounce as US shale gas and oil are has zero reason to continue (see this ) and US shale drilling will be crashed at this price. even most OPEC has average cost of about 50~60$, US shale oil production cost about $60~80. Market force will eventually run their cause. buy UWTI is similar to store oil in a boat.

Although EM is in down turn, Oil might go even lower. but as long as middle-east, Russia did not offend powerful countries, EM has little leverage. It might be good to buy UWTI below 3.08. Although UWTI has much higher risky than UNG at 13.2, so keep UWTI small or tiny. UWTI can drop big if Russia and Ukraine peace fail, or EM economy crash

Russia is beaten up heavily and suffer heavy loss, it is likely Russia and Ukraine will sign peace treat today, If so buy RUSL (see here)]

ENLARGE

Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen photographed in his office at the Treasury Department on Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C.PHOTO: MADELINE MARSHALL/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

By

JAY SOLOMON and

WILLIAM MAULDIN

Updated Feb. 1, 2015 4:54 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—Iran’s economy is now fundamentally incapable of recovery without a nuclear accommodation with the West, increasing Washington’s leverage in final negotiations with Tehran, said the Treasury Department’s outgoing sanctions czar David Cohen .

“They’re stuck. They can’t fix this economy unless they get sanctions relief,” Mr. Cohen said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal about sanctions policy around the world. “I think they are coming to the negotiations with their backs to the wall.”

Mr. Cohen is leaving his post to assume the No. 2 spot at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he’ll continue to spearhead U.S. efforts to contain Iran, Russia, North Korea and other American adversaries.

Mr. Cohen has been a central player at Treasury over the past decade in developing targeted financial sanctions to pressure countries and extremist organizations, such as Islamic State. These financial campaigns have been particularly focused on Tehran, Moscow, Damascus and Pyongyang in recent years.

In Washington, many see Mr. Cohen’s rise to the post of deputy CIA director as underscoring the importance the White House now assigns to financial intelligence.

“I think it would be accurate to say that the importance of financial tools in our national security toolbox has steadily increased over the past five to 10 years,” Mr. Cohen said. “Had that not been the case…I would have never gotten on the radar screen of somebody like John Brennan , ” the CIA’s director.

The administrations of Barack Obama and George W. Bush have both touted the U.S. financial campaign against Iran as a model for weakening Washington’s adversaries. Mr. Cohen and other senior U.S. officials say they believe that Tehran’s decision in 2013 to negotiate over its nuclear program resulted from the sanctions damage to the economy.

The Treasury Department calculates the Western sanctions have cut Iran’s oil exports by more than half in three years, while denying Tehran $40 billion in revenues last year alone.

Recent declines in oil prices, according to Mr. Cohen, could cost Iran another $11 billion over the next six months.

Republican and Democratic critics of the White House still accuse the U.S. of not going far enough. A bipartisan bill now being negotiated in Congress would call for new sanctions against Iran if an international agreement curbing its nuclear program isn’t reached by July.

Some critics also maintain the administration relies too heavily on sanctions alone, without a broader policy of addressing global problems.

“Sanctions are not the policy and they should not serve as a coverup for a lack of policy,” said Slovakia’s foreign minister, Miroslav Lajcak, in an interview. Mr. Lajcak, whose country has suffered fallout from the sanctions against Russia, says he doesn’t question the need for economic penalties, but also favors greater support for his neighbor, Ukraine.

Some economic analysts disagree with Mr. Cohen, saying the decision by the White House last year to suspend some sanctions to advance the diplomacy has breathed new life into the Iranian economy.

“Iran’s new budget shows that the authorities see no urgent need for relief from the current sanctions,” Patrick Clawson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told a congressional hearing this week. “They correctly feel that they have learned to live with those sanctions.”

Mr. Cohen worries new sanctions at this time could split the international coalition negotiating with Iran and reduce the number of countries willing to enforce financial penalties.

“Who knows what would have happened had we continued on with sanctions, whether they would have careened to disaster,” Mr. Cohen said. “I think that’s unknowable.”

Targeted sanctions in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s Ukraine incursion have contributed to a 50% drop in the value of Russian ruble over the past six months and slashing of economic growth forecasts, Mr. Cohen said.

Anders Aslund of the Peterson Institute of International Economics said Russian output could tumble 10% this year. Last week, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services cuts its credit rating on Russia to junk-level.

Mr. Cohen also said the U.S. and its allies have made gains in cutting off the financing of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. Pentagon warplanes have destroyed much of the organization’s oil infrastructure, used by the organization for income and donations for the group from Persian Gulf sympathizers also have diminished under U.S. pressure, according to U.S. officials.

Still, Mr. Cohen said Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, continues to earn revenues from crime and kidnapping.

“We don’t pay ransoms to hostage-takers, especially not to terrorist organizations that are hostage-takes,” Mr. Cohen said, without commenting on current hostage dramas. “ISIL gets a material amount of its funding from ransom payments. And it would be to all of our mutual benefit to cut off that source of funding.”

Notices: (place mouse cursor here will stop text move).
1. Be sure to REFRESH your browser to get to new always 720p feature! Read this if you don't know how.
2). Masterpiece Top 100 and My Favorites are ready for use; F5 to refresh if u can't see your favorite.
3). Our survey indicates most people never know 50% to 90% of our Masterpiece Top 100.
4). Sort at front/home page to rank everythings at TopCools; Shrink browser to size of business card can reduce network usage.
5). All registered users can now login, if can't receive email, please check your email "spam or junk folder".